this morning on "early today" -- libya in limbo. an intense battle rages as moammar gadhafi promises to fight to the end. hitting home. a warning from u.s. health officials about food coming from japan amidst the nuclear crisis. and losing his cool. singer chris brown snaps after questions about his assault on former girlfriend rihanna. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello and good morning. welcome to our viewers across the nation including the pick time zone. i'm lynn berry. today we begin with a power

struggle. a fourth day of allied strikes have damaged moammar gadhafi's air defense systems, but so far, the attacks have failed to cripple gadhafi's confidence or put an end to his assaults. this against civilian opponents. anti-aircraft fire streaked the skies overnight over tripoli after a day of heavy fighting against gadhafi loyalists. despite some success in the south, the inexperienced rebels found themselves outgunned by government forces in the western city of misrata. and to the east of ajabiya. gadhafi spoke on tv yesterday and a defiant gadhafi predicted, and ever defiant, gadhafi predicted "we will win this battle. meanwhile, president obama has cut short his tour of latin america amid criticism of his leadership of the attack on libya. the president says he has, quote, absolutely no doubt that

a successful transition of power to coalition powers will take place in a matter of days. critics call that optimistic. tracie potts joins us from washington with the latest on this. tracie, good morning to you. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. the president is due back later this afternoon to deal with all this. while in el salvador he made the decision to get involved because the cost outweighed the benefits. not everyone here on capitol hill agrees. in fact, some lawmakers who both support and are against this action say he should have consulted congress first. he may have overstepped his constitutional authority by doing so. one lawmaker, dennis kucinich of ohio, is calling it possible an impeachable offense and is seeking a resolution to stop all action immediately in libya on behalf of the united states. even supporters say he's got to come back and seek an authorization of force from

congress. how long might we be involved? secretary of state clinton says the u.s. is receiving reports, top advisers to gadhafi may want out. they're reaching out to those in europe to see if there may be options to bring this to an end. lynn? >> tracie potts there in washington. tracies, thank you. to japan now where black smoke has been seen emerging from unit three of the crippled fukushima daiichi nuclear plant prompts a new evacuation of all the workers from the complex. officials had reported some progress yesterday after hooking up power lines to all six of its reactor units. however, it may be days if not weeks before critical cooling systems are back up. since crews need to carefully check equipment before turning on the electricity. that development is doing little to allay concerns about food safety. the food and drug administration now says it is blocking imports of produce and dairy products from japan's radiation zone. and officials in tokyo are now warning families against giving

infants tap water after detecting higher than allowed levels of radioactive iodine. now here's a look 59 some other stories making news early today in america -- in washington, firefighters pulled a worker from a messy situation after he fell 85 feet down a sewer pipe. he was inside conducting an inspection when his harness became unlatched. he washed around in thousands of gallons of waste before being rescued. in california, a dramatic rescue was captured on video. over a dozen people, including 12 boy scouts needed to be saved after heavy rain made it impossible for the groom to k s koss -- group to cross a river near their campsite. it took four trips for the rescue team to lift everyone out. no injuries were reported and the scouts have been reunited with their families. and finally -- in texas, a set of

prehistoric shark teeth are expected to bring a whale of a in dallas. this took over two decades. if you want to take home the nine feet tall, 11 feet wide set with all 182 teeth, the opening bid at its june auction will be $625,000. now for a look at your national and regional weather, here's nbc meteorologist bill karins with the weather channel forecast. bill, good morning. >> good morning. i just added swimming in lakes as one of the things i would not like to do. >> picture there? >> yeah. i hope that story they don't tell friends, too. hope it will be all right, too. more snow, the snow pack is incredible in the sierras after these last two storms. the water supply great for this year. i'm going to say that, haven't, in many years. a lot of water issues. that's the good thing about all of these storms and the latest one is moving through.

a slow mover, moisture supply coming right off the ocean. a good trajectory for a good snowfall. three to four feet in the mountains. on the coast, a rain event, as you'd expect. eve be the central valley getting the rain. the green is the rain. the white is the snow. we're picking it up around yosemite and further north around the reno area and tahoe, picking up significant snow. the snow forecast over the next 48 hour. in this blue here, look at the totals. 24 inches plus. over two feet in a wide area. that's why they're excited about the water supply in california. now, as far as the forecast for today, obviously, the storm is along the coast. chance of showers moving into l.a. eventually rain maybe even thunderstorms for san francisco and sacramento and that's where it continues to the north. for once, seattle, you're the ones that have a decent forecast. 58 and partly cloudy.

59. prescott, arizona. much of arizona actually should remain dry. lynn, we'll track the storm into thursday for coming up in a little bit. >> bill, thank you. also coming up -- stocks fall but market calms. oil keeps climbs and big bailout profits. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, chris brown throws an angry, violent tantrum where asked about his past violence. coming up, kim duncan trades in his jersey for crutches and the bulls run through atlanta. you're watching "early today."

good morning, and welcome back to "early today." i'm lynn berry. here are some of your top

headlines this morning -- yemen's embattled president is refusing to resign immediately and warning that his country could slide into a bloody civil war if he were forced to step down. yesterday, tens of thousands protested in the country's capital emboldened by top commanders who have defected from the regime. south dakota's governor signed a bill into law requiring women to wait to have an abortion for three days after meeting with their doctor. the longest waiting period in the nation. women seeking the procedure will also have to undergo counseling at a so-called pregnancy help center which active thictively discourages abortions. the law is set to take effect july 1st, but abortion rights groups vow to file a lawsuit challenging the measure. former nfl star lawrence taylor has been sentenced to six years probation after pleading guilty to sexual misconduct and patronizing an underage prostitute last year. taylor must now register as a sex offender. and nasa researchers are

upping the chances of finding habitable planets in the milky way galaxy. they now estimate systems are orbiting our earth providing a chance that life, maybe even intelligent life may exist out there. >> and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 12,018 after falling 17 points on tuesday. the s&p shed 4 points and the nasdaq dropped 8. taking a look overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei lost 158 points while in hong kong, the hang seng was down 32. despite small losses which quietly ended a three-day rally on wall street tuesday, traders welcomed the lack of hustle and bustle, hoping it may signal an end to recent volatility. march has been a month of wild swings with the dow moving up or down by at least 100 points in four of the last five days alone.

adding to yesterday's calm, volume was the lowest of the year. oil is still a source of concern. it rose, settling at just under $105 a barrel. to cope with rising fuel prices, major airlines announced cut capacity on friday. due to demand, delta is reducing flights to japan up to 20% through may, cuts that will cost airlines $250 million to $400 million in lost profit. also blaming higher fuel costs for profits, carnival, which fell over 4%. walgreens tumbled more than 6%, despite results in line with expectations, its profit margins disappointed. netflix climbed again 4% on yet another upgrade on speculation it's going global. keep an eye on adobe systems. after hours, its fourth quarter beat estimates, but the softwaremaker dramatically cut its output due to business uncertainty following japan's twin disasters. also, watch javo circuit, after

the bell, it was up sharply. and finally, with something to consider looking back at the financial system bailout, the federal reserve will pay a record $79 billion to the treasury, money earned last year alone on its massive bailout holdings. coming, the wizard woes, the cats come back and the lakers battle the endless sun. plus, rose smells sweet, leading the bulls to the top of the east. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. our wild march weather continues. severe weather outbreak and snow in many areas. your wednesday forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today." versus toyota. which is better?

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plus, every new toyota comes with toyotacare, a complimentary maintenance plan with roadside assistance. we're #1 for a reason. come see for yourself. hurry in for the best selection. ♪ good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." in sports, it has been a long time since the chicago bulls have been the nba's beast of the east. here's nbc's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines. good wednesday morning. the bulls survived a slow start with a blast of injuries in the beginning of the season. if you mess with the bulls now, you're going to get the horns. the hawks found out. virtually he's unstoppable. final seconds of the half.

rose stopped and pops at the buzzer. that's missing from his game and while he'll be the mvp this year. the rout on, bulls up 29 at the brake. kept their foot on the game the entire time. bulls climb back into first place with a win. to los angeles, the suns and lakers so close, it made the coach sweat. kobe bryant put the lakers on top for good. he had 42. then off the turnover, ron artest flexed his muscle, the dunk and the pose. after blowing a 21-point lead, lakers need triple overtime to beat the suns 139-137. wizards have the worst record in the league, but they beat the trailblazers. wait, that didn't happen. portland put a hurt on them. portland is now 1-32 on the road. out with a week with a sprained ankle. an injury happened monday nice against the warriors for tim duncan. duncan came down monday night in the game and did not return.

thankfully for the spurs no structural damage but will miss at least the next three games. hockey's capitals are without their stars. alex ovechkin will be out due to injuries. marcus johansson unleashed a rocket. tying the game and force a shoot-out. alexander had a backhand move. the caps won 5-4, just a point behind the flyers for the top spot in the east. that is your early look at sports on "early today." i'm fred roggin. is lindsay lohan going back to jail? by choice. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus who would have thought a mother's nightmare could lead to fame and stardom? you're watching "early today."

welcome back on this wednesday morning. another storm system on the west coast. this is a slow mover and it's going to bring rain today on and off through california northwards. a lot of these areas it's already rainingsnow falling at high elevation and a lot of passes difficult, especially going through areas around tahoe, 80, l.a. a chance of rain. dry in arizona. by the time we go into tomorrow, i mentioned, it's a slow moving storm system. not a lot changes. still a chance of showers and

storms at all of these same locations. even spread a little of that wet weather towards seattle. unless you're in vegas or phoenix, a good chance you'll need the umbrella or a snow shovel over the next 48 hours. hope you're watching in portland, oregon. experience japanese-american life in portland through the challenges of world war ii and reflection of an organize og community. that's your pacific event of the day. >> bill, thanks so much. >> bill, thanks so much. now here's a look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. from the sounds of it, chris brown may need a little refresher course on anger management. after being questioned about his infamous fight with former girlfriend rihanna in an interyou into for abc's "good morning america," brown reportedly threw a fit, screaming and then smashing a window in his dressing room. the pop singer left the studio shirtless skipping a performance for the network's website.

he followed up the tantrum with several angry tweets. elsewhere, the buzz is increasing that today facing a trial on felony grand theft charges, lindsay lohan will accept a plea bargain, one that reportedly includes a 90-day jail sentence. finally, russell brand says "detail" magazine when it comes to his marriage to katy perry, a lot of his friends laughed at him for how much of his decision-making he turns over to her. the most mundane and spectacular thing that happened in the world. does that make sense? being creative. either way, he gets married. >> smart. handing over decisions to the wife, you can't get in trouble for a wrong decision. >> i don't know why you guys fight it. just let it happen. it's going to anyway. >> his very line. this comes to us from news channel 4 in colchester,

vermont. one kid knows making a big stink is all you need to do to become a champ. the national rotten sneaker contest. the winner spent hours searching for frogs and bugs, turning his once white sneakers into the foul stuff and filthy stuff champions are made out of. the shoes now go to the hall of fumes where they can be viewed from a safe distance. so between that and the waste story, i think i've -- >> that guy that fell into the waste, his shoes maybe can be submitted next year. >> a little competition. elbowing of the kids out of there. >> oh, yea. congratulations on your tennis shoes. one ir runner-up, too. >> i strive. i'm lynn berry, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

one space shuttle at cape canaveral may never fly, but it was quite a sight to see. the 2,000 workers formed a shuttle. on in honor of the legacy nearing an end, it was a perfectly executed mission. one nor more glitch. more people showed up than anticipated, so they added a circle around it. quick thinking there. while politics in washington can often be a circus, this time it was all in good fun. the ringling brothers circus came to town by giving residents a preview on capitol hill. marching the streets before scores of kids eager to get into the spirit. thankfully for the people of washington, cleanup crews weren't far behind.

and finally -- call it a six pack for the brain. one fitness class in washington, d.c., is combining trivia with exercise. the gym goers are drilled with questions during pop culture push-up, historical lunges and smarty pants squats. the class is based on research finding the benefits of thinking while exercising due to increased blood flow to the area of the brain that controls memory. it's a miracle if you can get me to lift weights. if you want to ask me questions during that, it's not going to happen. that could be "jeopardy 2.0." taking it to the next level. >> can you imagine ken with watson? what a combination. >> we don't need to stand in gym class. >> no, we don't. time now for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc -- in a court in washington state, army specialist jeremy morlock is expected to plead guilty to the premeditated murder of three afghan civilians last year.

according to his attorney, morlock has agreed to testify against four other soldiers accused in the killing spree. chain restaurants across the country have until today to post nutritional contents of menu items. as part of the health reform bill that president obama signed into law one year ago today. and happy world meteorology day. this highlights the importance of tracking our changing, global climate. we'll pat bill on the back today. all day long, you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories and others as they break on msnbc. and tonight be sure to watch brian williams with nbc "nightly news." and, finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. newt gingerich speaks out on president obama's leadership at the crisis in libya as moammar gadhafi remains defiant amid a fourth day of air strikes. and find out the latest details of singer chris brown's reported rage following a morning tv interview. now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more.

i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com